Nearly Headless Nick's Story

Chapter Ten

Love at Fifth Sight

"Oooohhh," moaned Nick as he rolled over in bed, and attempted to open his eyes, only to find the light to bright and the pain too great.

He had never felt this sore before in his entire life, including the many times he had been incapacitated during his training. There had been times when he had lost bones, and times when he had to face entire armies of trolls on his own, yet nothing like this.

For not only was nearly every part of his body bruised and beaten, and not only was his arm obviously broken, and not only was his left eye so badly swollen he could barely open it, but his heart ached.

Leila had saved his life. If not for her clawing at his men like a rabid lioness, they would surely have beaten him to death. She had saved his life with her own two hands, and both times he had saved her, both the pretend time and the real one, he had resorted to his magic.

Shame and passion burned at his insides until he could barely stand it. Sweat was coursing down his face in torrents. In fact, it seemed to come in short drenching bursts that were icy. After a moments confused thought, he realized that someone was mopping his black and blue face off with fresh water.

He sat bolt upright, which he immediately regretted as it caused a horrible pain in his bound and broken arm and a sharp sting in his battered chest.

"Leila!" he croaked, as lowered himself slowly onto the bed.

"Oh my, you must be worse than we thought my dear," said an older and familiar voice.

Nick's heart fell the soles of his mangled feet. It was only Mafilda.

His feelings must have been evident in his expression, for Mafilda laughed shortly. "Now I know I'm not Leila, Sir Nicolas, but am I really as bad as all that?" she asked in a jolly sort of voice.

With a feeble laugh, Nick turned his eye that he could use toward Mafilda.

"I'm sorry ma'am, I was just hopeful I suppose. I wanted to thank her."

Mafilda gave him a knowing smile.

"Oh, no thanks are needed. She'll just be tickled that you are all right. She's been in a right state you know. Worried she has been."

Nick gave a start.

"I didn't want to worry her ma'am," Nick said attempting to sound concerned, but coming across plain frightened, which he was, "And I do need to thank her, she saved my life."

"You talk as though you hadn't saved hers as well just the other day," said Mafilda fondly, fluffing Nick's pillows.

With a jolt in his stomach that felt like a thousand snakes all wriggling, he felt tormented with guilt.

"I mean not every knight would have the gumption to defend a young woman from an enchanted knife, especially if the young woman had been as horrible to you as Leila was," Mafilda continued.

Despite his guilt, Nick's heart gave a pang at the thought of Leila and her original chilly treatment of him.

"Of course, I suppose Leila's beauty may have factored in the tiniest bit," Mafilda added with a sly smile.

Meeting her eyes, Nick gave her the best smile he could manage, and she returned it.

"I guess there was other thing that might have made it quite simple for you to protect your damsel in distress.." Mafilda trailed off as she handed Nick a cup of strong tea to which she had added a shot of medicinal wine.

"Thank you," murmured Nick accepting the tea and continuing to stare at Mafilda, "What might that other thing be, ma'am?"

"The fact that you conjured the knife, and I'm sure there was magic in the air this morning," said Mafilda.

Nick spat out the mouthful of tea that he had just taken.

"WHAT?" he gasped.

Mafilda's mouth was twitching with a smile at the look of horror that was making its way across Nick's face.

"Don't worry son," groaned Mafilda as she eased herself out of the hard wooden chair she had been seated in, "I'm sure you got a fine education at Hogwarts and know enough not to let any of the Muggles around here in on it.

She winked at Nick, smiling broadly as she made to leave the room.

"Wait, so you're a.. you're a." "Barely, I'm as good as a squib to tell you the truth," sighed Mafilda, "I do know a few decent cooking spells, and a scrubbing spell or two, but that's about it."

"Everyone seems so up in arms about witchcraft around here though, how do you avoid getting caught?" Nick asked curiously.

"It's hard work I can tell you, especially when I attempt an Scouring Char- " Mafilda started, but she was interrupted by the opening of the door right behind her.

Mafilda quickly shut her mouth, and left the room, pushing past Leila, who was entering.

Leila watched Mafilda as she walked down the hall and down the stairs.

"What was that all about?" she asked, closing the door behind her and taking the chair Mafilda had left behind.

"Oh she was just tired of listening to my moaning," Nick said in an offhand voice, "Complaining about the pain and all."

"Well I would say you have good reason," Leila winced as she sat down and Nick turned to look her straight in the eye and couldn't contain a gasp.

Her face was scratched and her cheek was raw and red. Black and blue covered her arms and one of her hands was bandaged.

She saw him looking and to Nick's surprise she smiled.

"Don't worry, I don't look half as wretched as you, and your men look twice as bad," she said with the trace of a giggle.

"My men!" said Nick sitting upright again, and as he set himself back down he made a mental note to remember his physical state.

"Yes, you brought quite a few of them with you about a few days ago?" Leila said slowly and sarcastically, "They went a bit mad this morning, and rather pummeled us?"

"I know who my men are!" Nick said in a horribly annoyed voice, "What I do not know, is where they are at the moment."

"At the moment, they are in prison. In about 60 moments they will be on their way back to where ever you came from to be dealt with by.not you," said Leila, sounding a tad bit confused

"And why, may I ask, am I not allowed to deal with my own rogue men?" demanded an thoroughly annoyed Nick.

Leila smiled innocently.

"Because you are in no condition to give orders or deal with anything, given the fact that you can hardly get out of bed without obtaining some sort of horrible injury. And I feel I must say-" Leila added quickly, noticing Nick about to rise in anger, "That if you continue to spring from that bed every time you get a surge of emotion, then you will be in this condition for quite a long time, my dear knight."

Nick realized she was quite right, and took a gulp of tea to calm his nerves, but he was still rather irritated

"And I'm sure you are all right Leila," Nick said, feigning sweetness.

"I'm all right." Leila said slowly, sensing something was coming.

"Good thing I was there this morning you know," Nick said off-handedly as he took another sip of tea, "Or that simply wouldn't be the case."

Leila flushed in anger.

"And just what do you mean by that sir?" Leila purred coldly, venom shooting from her gaze.

"I only meant that perhaps you would be a bit more damaged if I hadn't been there to rescue you," Nick said, maneuvering carefully.

"Oh really?" Leila growled, her anger rising, "I could have done just fine without you, you presumptuous imbecile, and if I remember correctly I did as much saving as you did this morning."

"That may be so, but if it weren't for me those men would never have dropped you!" Nick said resolutely, not realizing what he was saying.

"How, may I ask, does their fainting from drunkenness have anything to do with you?" Leila demanded.

Nick froze. It was true that the men wouldn't have dropped her if it hadn't been for him. But he couldn't quite explain that he had used a curse to do it. He thought for a moment and decided it was better to be simply irritating.

"It just does," he said in a nauseatingly sultry voice, staring at her.

The color receded from Leila's flushed face, leaving her pale and glaring.

"YOU ARE AN IDIOT," she snarled, and with that she swung her arm back and slapped him with all her might across the face. She then strode from the room, slamming the door behind her..

Nick laid in stunned silence for a full minute before the impact of what had just happened him.

"Oww." he groaned rubbing his cheek, but nevertheless he smiled, knowing he had her at last.

Outside the door, Leila allowed herself a sigh and smile, before she headed back to her chores.